TNAG-0841-FCO40-1050-Visit-of-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-Chi-1979 — Page 245

布政司署

港下亞畢道

本署檔號 OUR REF.:

SCR 3/5701/78

*** YOur Ref.:

CONFIDENTAL

HICK 026/3

REGIVAD -

13 MAR 1979

Rer.

GOVERNMEnt secRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

6 March, 1979

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Action Take

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RT McLaren Esq

8193

Hong Kong & General Department FCO

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GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO PEKING

I think it is a pity that the news that the Governor is to pay an official visit to Peking was confirmed by the FCO yesterday. I do not know precisely how this was done but Reuters on 5 March had an item which started: "Hong Kong Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, will pay an official visit to Peking shortly - a further step in the improving relations between Britain and China, British officials said today." AFP carried a similar report, adding: "Sir Murray and his Chinese hosts are expected to discuss future relations between China and Hong Kong. This was put in such a way that it implied that this comment had also been made by an official spokesman.

2.

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As you know, we said that we would delay our official announcement here until 4 p.m. today. The Embassy in Peking were also acting on this deadline. Although there had been an unfortunate leak in the press here on Sunday (emanating, we think, from a returned visitor to Peking who had been told the story by Chinese officials) the press speculation was very general and we had held the line of "neither confirm nor deny" as previously agreed with you.

3.

The result of the official statements in London was that the news was broadcast on the radio here this morning. There was also a fairly detailed article in the SCMP which, we are told, came from London. Although not much real damage was done, all this did rather undermine our carefully planned pre-briefing arrangements for selected journalists.

ever

cc T J B George Esa (PEKING)

(D C Wilson)

CONFIDENTIAL

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